It’s been a while since I’ve written anything for Gunners Town, mainly as I’m writing a dissertation at the moment and that’s taking all the spare time I have right now. Thanks for Gunners Town firstly, for bearing with me during this time.

Since I’ve been away, we’ve had some ups and downs haven’t we. Sending offs, penalties going against us, a couple of devastating defeats and a bit of tiredness seems to be creeping in. Above all else, a sense of desperation rings around the club right now, one I suspect is due to a distinct lack of trophies.

I understand the desperation to win a trophy, any trophy. It’s been far too long for a club of our stature. We are one of the world’s biggest clubs, we have one of the best stadiums in world football and we have the infrastructure to be successful for the next 100 years. There’s a keyword in that sentence just above in case any of you missed it.

Infrastructure.

While we’ve missed out on trophies, we’ve been building a model of a football club that the board truly believe in and have invested heavily in. This isn’t a blog about that, there’s many out there that are far better qualified than me to talk on such matters and people who are probably much more well informed.

I want to talk instead about the reactions of some of our fans to the events of this season. Yes it’s been nine years, yes it’s taken time and yes we’re all frustrated. But for the first time in nine years, it looked as if we had a realistic shot at winning a Premier League title. This could be the reason that the reactions have been mind-blowing for me. I must admit though, Saturday afternoon I was absolutely gutted. More so than any other result. I was confident going into the game we could at least garner a point. What I witnessed was pathetic, let alone embarrassing.

Arsene Wenger. The only manager I’ve ever known at Arsenal in my 21 years on the planet. Am I scared he’ll have had enough and leave at the end of this season? Petrified. He’s put up with a segment of the fans calling for his head for seasons now, the collapse of our seasons year after year and more importantly, no public backing from his employers; although we’re assured from the likes of Geoff on Twitter that all is well behind the scenes.

Why would a manager that has courted the interests of the biggest and best clubs in world football, stick around and try again year after year? He loves the club. More than you. More than me. More than any fan you know.

Regardless of whether or not he loves the club, the job he has done is fantastic. He’s given us absolutely everything we could have asked for, except the Champions League. Doubles check. A whole season unbeaten, you bet you. FA Cups? Yeah, he’s won them too.

That said, it has been 9 years now as I’m sure reading along you’ll be noting. Whose fault is it? Wenger’s? The Board’s? The Players?

There is no one answer. What is clear however, to me at least is that Wenger will only be truly appreciated when he’s no longer at the club. The infrastructure (that word again) he has helped to implement will serve us well in the time going forward. Of that, I have no doubt. There is one thing that I would change however and that is Wenger’s tactics in games against the big four. Something clearly has to change there, whether it’s tactics or selection.

Moving onto my next point, the criticism of Mesut Özil is astonishing. Only our fans could call for us to sign a big player for years and then when we break our transfer record for one of the most influential footballers in the game, adored by players at Real Madrid, his national side and figures from world football, and moan.

He’s not good enough, he’s too lazy, he’s a waste of £40,000,000. Jesus wept. Mesut Özil is a waste of money. I am the first to admit he has had an up and down season, his first in the Premier League let’s not forget. I don’t think it is ANY coincidence whatsoever that his ‘dry spell’ if you will came when the runners in our squad gained injuries. Not only have our own fans been criticising him, the press have been relentless.

Lazy journalism, over a supposedly lazy player. Any time anything goes wrong, it’s Özil’s fault. Pulled a hamstring after two minutes, played the half and is lampooned as being a lazy player, who wasn’t up for the fight before any news of the injury. Jose Mourinho would have had the press on an inquiry if that had been about Eden Hazard.

Finally, Olivier Giroud. He’s seen by us seemingly as either the patron saint of our season or the most useless player up front for us since we signed Franny Jeffers. When he’s had a good game, he’s unreal. When he’s had an average game he’s a waste of space. I don’t think Giroud strikes fear into defenders like Luis Suarez does, who is so unpredictable and can win three points on his own in half a second, but in other ways.

His hold up play is exquisite. I like him. I’ve always been of the opinion that we should play Giroud in front of a striker. I had a chat on Twitter with a couple of people in the week and although I wouldn’t necessarily buy Loic Remy, a player of his mould fits the category. Someone pacey, who can latch onto Giroud’s flick ons and hold up play with a through ball.

Anyway, I guess the point of this blog is to just calm down. Relax. Take it easy. We’re in the FA Cup semi-final, we’ve got a top chance of winning that too. We will finish in the top four, possibly the top three. We’re not in bad shape considering we’re up against oil-rich Sheikh funded clubs and Russian oligarchs to contend with.

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About Ryan Barker

20 year old Media Student. Can’t thank my old man enough for bringing me up as a Gooner. Love debates about The Arsenal & football in general. Arsene Knows Best. Koscielny lover. Form is temporary, class is permanent. Hate Piers Morgan almost as much as I love The Arsenal.
Delighted to be a part of GoonerTown providing match previews.

He doesn t love Arsenal more than the fans noone at the club does… It is 8 years we take it easy WE ARE TAKING SO EASY THAT WE WILL FINISH 5TH OR WORSE… so I am just gonna say this if you want to take it easy fuck off and support someone else…. Hint there is a club in N17 that has long won fuck all and have loads of useless players maybe you should go there… ENOUGH IS ENOUGH ARSENE WENGER OUT NOW!!

Why are you scared you are 21 the club is 125 BA (before Arsene) we had won the double check 10 (count them 10) titles we even went one season only losing one game we did a cup double and yes WON European trophies. So AA the club will survive also he is only the 3rd most successful manager we have ever had ( days per trophy George graham 65 days and Herbert Chapman 67 days) he can also be classed as the worst manager have gone the longest without a trophy and Herbert Chapman left a legacy that stil reverberates through football not just Arsenal floodlights numbered shirts tactical genius (if only Arsene had that!!) Some of us remember 18 years without a championship win 8 years without a trophy and yes we changed managers that what happens thats how you move forward keep on like this and we will understand how the scum down the road feel and I NEVER WANT THAT

Ryan`s attitude to the club is commendable, but if all fans were like him, Arsene would always have an easy time. He has to be accountable to the fans. As much as the club should be grateful to him for what he has done, his legacy will be the infrastructure, not his team. He deserves his bust alongside Herbert Chapman, however, he has been left behind by better coaches and tacticians. He doesn`t appear to register concern as to why we consistently have the longest injury list year after year. He doesn`t see that our team is consistently out muscled and out thought by the bigger clubs.

For nine years, nothing has changed with Arsene, but the game has. He is too stubborn to admit his flaws and consequently he does nothing to change them. He is a man of principle and of course he could have gone to other clubs, but chose to stay with Arsenal. All of these factors make it difficult to dismiss him, but really, if he really loves the club as if it was his child, he gave it roots to grow and now he must give it the wings to fly. He cannot do it so he must stand aside and let someone else try.

Top post mate. I pretty much agree with everything youve written. Some of the reactions over the past few days are bordering on hysterical. At the start of the season most supporters would have taken a top 4 position and a win in one of the domestic Cups and we are still well and truly on target for that. We are finally coming out of our age of austerity and Wenger deserves more than 1 summer transfer window to prove that he can build another title winning side. Ozil is going to be a great player for our club over the next few seasons but we need another two or 3 players of his quality to kick onto the next level. Unfortunately players like him are very hard to find and when they do become available there is massive competition to sign them up. Suarez would have been an awesome signing for us and we`d have gone very very close to winning the league with him in our side, unfortunately the Mickey`s wouldnt do business with us but he is exactly the type of player I refer too. One thing I do tend to disagree with you about is your statement that you are petrified about Arsene leaving. 4 or 5 years ago when we were in the middle of this period of financial restriction I would have agreed because I seriously doubt any manager in the world could have done a better job than Wenger in those circumstances but times have changed now. As you said, Wenger has built the infrastructure which will allow us to be very competitive financially and should ensure that we challenge for trophies on a consistent basis. The Arsenal have always been a great club and always will be. One thing is for sure though, Arsene Wenger(like Herbert Chapman) has laid foundations which will make every future Arsenal manager`s job a much easier one. Some halfwits might be struggling to comprehend the legacy Wenger will be leaving behind but give it 10 or 12 years and even the most mentally challenged will get it. Anyway mate, cheers for the article. Its been a refreshing change from most of the garbage thats been spouted over the last couple of days. Up the Arse.

Well stated and I agree totally with your analysis. I have been supporting Arsenal since 1958 and have experienced all the ups and downs of my beloved club. History will be kind to Arsene Wenger and will recognize the transformation he initiated in order to compete with a new paradigm of club football as a result of bottomless pockets of foreign money. As a business model Arsenal have no peers, and while that may frustrate some fans, it’s better than spending into football oblivion like Leeds and QPR. It’s also better than Tottenham Hotspur than remain mired in mediocrity; spending money just for the chance of being in the top six. This was supposed to be a transition year for Arsenal but their early season success created unrealistic expectations. Yesterdays result against Swansea was bitterly disappointing but how different would the result have been with Koscielny, Ramsey, Wilshere, Ozil and Walcott playing. Arsenal’s squad has always been recognized as being inadequate, and was going to be addressed during this summer’s transfer window. I am a frustrated fan, but as a fan I support my club through thick or thin and believe that regardless of Arsenal’s final league position this season, they will take the necessary steps to go to the next level ………. with Arsene Wenger of course.